Early childhood education and investment in human capital formation: the case of Turkey in global perspective

Drawing on cognitive science, child psychology, education and economics literature, this paper investigates the significance of early childhood development and highlights the value of investment in early childhood education (ECE). The young child requires adequate psycho-stimulation for the optimal development of the brain, which subsequently helps her to accomplish at school and achieve in adulthood. It has been previously emphasized that for all young children who start life at an equal footing, governments should provide equal opportunities for ECE and care where families are not able to provide. In this paper, we contrast the current status of early childhood and pre-primary education in Turkey with that of Nordic countries, which have advanced far in this level of education. Despite the striking evidence on affirmative effects, early childhood and pre-primary education is not considered a priority in the education system in Turkey and has a lot of room for improvement.